1. Field of the Invention
Aspects of the present invention relate to a method of and apparatus for downloading data, and more particularly, to a method of downloading data including, when a connection of a downloading apparatus to a server is disconnected while downloading data from the server, reconnecting the downloading apparatus to the server and downloading the data that was being downloaded, and an apparatus for performing the method.
2. Related Art
Many types of media signal reproducing apparatuses, such as digital TVs, computers, mobile phones, digital cameras, personal digital assistants (PDAs), MP3 players, portable media players (PMPs), and the like, have been introduced with the development of digital technologies. A media signal reproducing apparatus can receive signals from another digital apparatus via a communication network, receive broadcasting information through a broadcasting receiving unit included in the apparatus, and reproduce the received information. A recording medium storing various types of information, such as an optical disk (including a DVD, a blue-ray disc (BD), and the like), can be used in conjunction with the media signal reproducing apparatus. In some cases, the media signal reproducing apparatus may include a local storage unit in addition to a recording medium insertion unit. The local storage unit can be connected to a server or a database, via a network, and download data (such as AV data or application programs) from the server or the database, via the network. Accordingly, the media signal reproducing apparatus can reproduce data received in the recording medium inserted into the insertion unit, or reproduce the data recorded from the server or database and stored in the local storage unit. The digital reproducing apparatus can create new data by mixing the data recorded in the recording medium and the data stored in the local storage unit and can reproduce the new data.
When the media signal reproducing apparatus is connected to an external server via a communication network and is downloading data from the server, data downloading may be interrupted due to disconnection from the server, which may be caused when the media signal reproducing apparatus is turned off, for example due to a power outage. Thus, when power is restored and the media signal reproducing apparatus is turned on and is ready to download data again, because the connection to the server has been disconnected, the media signal reproducing apparatus must locate the server and reconnect to the server, via the network. Thus, a user can download desired data again only when the user reconnects the media signal reproducing apparatus to the same server and requests to download the data again. However, the media signal reproducing apparatus cannot download only remaining data from the point where data downloading was stopped, and must download data from the beginning, which increases the time for data downloading. Further, the already downloaded data remains in a memory of a media signal reproducing apparatus as fragments of data, which affects the new data downloading, thereby reducing the data storing and reproducing speed.